Last weekend I made myself a kimono dress. Next up is a dress guaranteed to remind me of 70’s summers spent attending concerts like Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, and the Dead. I had at least 3 different versions of this dress as a teen and loved each one.
The Alice & Olivia Spring 2017 runway look pictured above reminds me of those maxi dresses of my youth. To recreate the look I plan on using lightweight solid rayon challis for the skirt, a contrasting embroidered cotton print for the bodice and straps, and some complimentary jacquard and satin ribbons for the trim. All I need to complete the look is a pair of hoop earrings, some espadrille wedgies and a concert ticket (or two)!
Even though summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21st the season always starts on Memorial Day weekend for me. I can finally pull out my lightweight clothing, go to the beach, and work in the garden (and on my tan) until the skeeters drive me inside. I tend toward no-fuss easy pieces, with dresses being my ‘go to’ item to wear – or make.
With rain in the forecast this weekend I plan on recreating one of my favorite looks from the Spring 2017 runways – the kimono wrap dress. It’s such a classic style that flatters most wearers regardless of size or shape. Plus, kimonos are incredibly easy garments to make. You can find patterns at Burda and Vogue, and almost any solid or print fabricfrom gauzesto embroidered cottons to silks will work. After that, all you need are some sexy shoes and a minimalist piece of jewelry to be ready for dancing in the streets (or anywhere else your summer takes you).
I’ve spent the last two weeks running three back-to-back celebrations which have kept me pretty busy. My favorite event of the three was a graduation celebration for nine young artists (each an accomplished musician, film maker, actor, writer, or game designer). I created a piece of art to record their accomplishments, which was framed and given to each along with a beautiful monogrammed leather folio…
For me, a denim jacket is one of THE fashion classics, never going out of style. I own two jackets that have been part of my wardrobe for 30+ years. These jackets have transitioned from their initial indigo brilliance to a beautifully faded cornflower blue that evokes memories of past adventures each time I wear one.
Levi’smakes the penultimate denim jacket, averaging around $100, but you can find jackets everywhere from Walmart to Bergdorf Goodman at every color, style, and price point imaginable.
The embellished denim jacket is another ‘Statement Jacket ‘ for spring (see the statement blouson here) which makes for a really easy DIY project (limited only by your imagination and/or craft skills).
A Google search for embroidered patches (including shapes, florals, and slogans) results in endless resources to choose from. You could also use studs, rhinestones,fringe, fancy braid, safety pins, fabric, or anything else you can think to turn your generic jacket into an embellished statement of your own!
This spring fashion is all about the Statement Jacket! The variety of styles and treatments available to buy or make is endless and only limited by the wearer’s imagination (or pocketbook). Today I’m showcasing two versions of the bomber jacket that would be easy to make if you are so inclined.
I really like Joie’s Mace Floral Silk Bomber Jacket. If you are going to make a similar look there are endless fabric choices to choose from. Silk, cotton, velvet – almost any fabric would work well. I’m leaning toward some sort of silk brocade with cord trim and a satin lining to make my own version of the look.
The Elie Tahari Glenna Sheer Floral Lace Bomber Jacket is another favorite of mine. It’s a look designed for casual sex appeal and could be dressed up or down. I’d love to make something similar in the sequin and beaded tulle (which would weigh a ton but look awesome!) but will settle for using a burnout fabric instead. Once I’ve finished I’ll wear it with a black tank, faded boyfriend jeans and black sandal – the perfect outfit for a night of clubbing in Miami next month.
Last week I featured a mantle designthat I hoped to make for Thanksgiving. I was aiming to have everything finished a few days ago but…..I actually finished an hour ago. In between getting our turkey in the oven and planning my weekend shopping I am so thankful…for my family and friends, for my health, for my faith, for my creativity, and most importantly for each day I wake up and get to do it all over again. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lately I’ve really been into staging our living room mantle. For years its primary purpose has been to showcase an ever-changing homage to birthday cards, athletic awards, professional recognitions, flowers, books, special pictures, academic achievements and the like. My first attempt at a creating a mantle ‘look’ was this past Halloween and I was so happy with the results (see my dream and reality here) that I am attempting a Thanksgiving look next.
The hanging rectangles (pictured above) represent photos of special people, places and things near and dear to my family’s heart. I’ve got to look through TONS of physical and digital pictures which might take some time since it’s hard for me not to get lost down memory lane when I look at the captured moments of our lives. Once I have enough images then I will mount each one on cardstock and hang from the ceiling using white and gold ribbons.
A quick trip to JoAnn for paper mache letters, primer, and metallic gold paint should translate to a shiny ‘thankful’, which may (or may not) end up nested in fresh magnolia greens. Candles? Again, I am not sure. My way is to dive into the making of a thing and see what happens. Once I begin to hang our thankful photos the final design will suggest itself (or at least I hope so).
Check back next Monday to see how it all comes together…I’d be thankful if you let me know what you think of the outcome.
Part 1: A DIY take on A Detacher Fall 2016 – Florals
In the past few weeks I’ve featured my DIY take on leopard and velvet, two of the hot fashion trends for Fall 2016. Another trend I love is wintery florals, especially when used in a dress. My closet already contains every style dress from A-line to wrap that range from casual to formal for every season imaginable. I’ve always loved the ease of a dress and how it can camouflage real (or imagined) flaws. All that’s needed to complete your look are killer shoes and sparkly bling before you head out the door for whatever adventure awaits. While I try to ‘recreate the runway’ look as closely as possible who says you need to do the same? Half the fun is finding the right floral fabric – not to mention shoes and accessories – for your own runway recreation!
Part 2: A DIY take on Temperly London Fall 2016 – Florals
Now that my children are old enough to make their own costumes I can focus on decorating our house (or at least one room of it). It’s time I retired the plastic skeletons and stuffed witch I’ve been using for decades and adopted a new look for Halloween (which signals the start of the holiday season for me).
Should I focus on inside-only decorations? Or go for the yard display instead? I know I don’t want to go ‘all out’ because come November 1st I’ll have to take everything down and pack it up (plus find a place to store it for another year). That means inside-only but what theme should I adopt? Cutesy? Gory? Classy fright? After searching West Elm, Pier 1, Target, Hobby Lobby, Joann, Williams & Sonoma, Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie, Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus for inspiration I’ve come up with a black/creme/silver mantle idea that will look pretty freakin’ cool if I pull it off.
To do so, I could buy everything and finish the mantle in a day but where’s the fun in that? Instead, I’m budgeting $40 for supplies and will attempt to make the twig wreath, pumpkins, signage, books and apothecary jars (although I’ll definitely buy the birds – there’s a limit to my crafting abilities). Follow me over the upcoming weeks and see how I’m progressing – hopefully I’ll be able to show you how closely I came to creating my original idea (and sticking to my budget) before October 31st!
The Grey Goddess 